5 Traits That Set Impact Players Apart From Average Performers

There are not shortage of articles, blog posts, books that give advice on what traits you should look for in people when creating a high performing team. Personally, I think anyone who’s creating their own business / organization / team should determine what those traits are based on what they want to accomplish; in other words: there is not set formula for everyone but there are some universal traits.

My objective is to create maximum impact for my customers, I want to wow them; not simply to do the job and leave it at that. With that said, I’ve come up with 5 traits that I believe set impact players apart from average performers:

  1. High agency;
  2. Agile learners;
  3. Clarity of thinking;
  4. Bias for action;
  5. Empathy.

Let’s look at each one…

High Agency

High agency is a prerequisite for making a profound impact in one’s life & work. High Agency is about finding a way to get what you want, without waiting for conditions to be perfect or otherwise blaming the circumstances. High Agency people either push through in the face of adverse conditions or manage to reverse the adverse conditions to achieve goals. Highly Talented, High Agency people are Game-Changers for their teams and companies.

Agile Learners

This is about how quickly and eagerly they learned when presented with a new challenge, and how curious and open they were to new ideas. Agile learning is important because you’re well equipped to deal with uncertainty, ambiguity and complexity.

Clarity of Thinking

Clarity of thinking is hard, very hard; but so important to me. Basically, I put high value on someone who can be concise with their thoughts; muddy thinking is a no for me.

Bias for action

Combined with the previous 4, a bias for action makes you unstoppable. Simply put: you have the attitude, are an agile learner, have clarity of thought and have the ability to act on it; I want you on my team!

Empathy

Lastly, I also want people who are empathetic; not just all about themselves. Because ultimately you will achieve objectives as a team, not as an individual.


That’s it, that’s my list of traits that set impact players apart from average performers. Let me know what you think, and what traits do you believe set impact players apart from average performers?

5 Traits That Set Impact Players Apart From Average Performers